DINWIDDIE, Va. -- It would be easy to understand if Al Hofmann
looked at the sky one day recently and said, 'Why me?'
In the last seven months, Hofmann lost his sponsor and crew chief
to other teams, and he has been sidelined from driving since suffering
serious injuries in a fiery crash right after winning the Mac Tools
Gatornationals last month. His mother also passed away during the
offseason.
But Hofmann has no time for self-pity. He's too busy working to
return to his consuming passion -- driving the Hofmann Racing Pontiac
Firebird to his first NHRA Winston championship.
"It's pretty hard to take," Hofmann said. "I don't know if it's a
test or not. But this is a tough business, and you just have to keep
working hard to keep up with it."
Hofmann, from Umatilla, Fla., hopes to return to driving at the
third annual, $1,488,750 Pennzoil Nationals presented by Trak Auto, April
24-27 at Virginia Motorsports Park. The race is the sixth event of the
22-event, $30-million NHRA Winston Drag Racing Series in 1997.
Before suffering a broken right arm and severely cut left hand at
Gainesville, Hofmann and new crew chief Jimbo Ermalovich looked ready to
provide a strong challenge to defending NHRA Winston champion John Force.
Hofmann pulled to within 45 points of Force with his victory.
But Hofmann has fallen to a tie for sixth place, 198 points behind
Force, in the NHRA Winston point standings during his two-race hiatus. But
Hofmann still thinks there's time to make a charge at Force if he and
Ermalovich can continue the powerful tuneup that won in March.
"I told Jimbo to run it like (the fire) never happened," Hofmann
said. "He's doing a heck of a job. I hope I don't get in the car and make
a fool of myself. But I've been sitting in the car a lot, so I think I'll
be OK. I think we're still in a pretty good spot."